Cult of Mac

The chairman of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission isn’t opposed to the breakup of America’s tech giants. However, he acknowledges it would be very, very challenging.

“If you have to, you do it,” Joe Simons told Bloomberg. “It’s not ideal because it’s very messy. But if you have to you have to.”

Earlier this year, I complained that Apple’s iPhone naming strategy was broken. Now, thanks to a popular case maker, we may know Apple’s naming choice for the 2019 iPhones: the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

And you know what? If it’s accurate, Apple has remedied one of the most unnecessarily complex aspects of its most popular product line.

The iPad is great for playing around and making music, but can it be a serious music tool as well? According to a course at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, it sure can.

The university’s “Creating with the iPad MUSC 198” course covers digital music production with a particular focus on Apple’s tablet. Because you don’t win friends with salad you can’t make music with a Surface, obvs! Check out a video preview of the course.

Some huge new details about this year’s iPhone 11 refresh have been spilled by an apparent Foxconn insider.

In a leaked email, the employee claims Apple will add a brand new color option to its smartphone lineup this fall. They also say that the back of this year’s devices will get a new, not-so-slippery finish.

Fortnite’s version 10.10 patch is out after a 24-hour delay. The new release revives Retail Row in Battle Royale — and adds a brand new World Run limited-time game mode.

There’s also a whole bunch of big improvements and fixes to look forward to, including welcome adjustments to the B.R.U.T.E. mech.

Apple and its suppliers soared on the news that the iPhone would not be hit by tariffs in President Trump’s ongoing trade skirmish with China.

AAPL reached as high as $209.90 Tuesday. It started the day hovering around $200. That’s an increase of around 4.2%. Meanwhile, suppliers in Japan enjoyed a good trading day Wednesday. Some stocks jumped as up 6%.

An Apple Store in the Bay Area has been targeted in a snatch-and-grab robbery in which 16 iPhones were stolen.

Police in Walnut Creek, California say that three females entered the Broadway Plaza Apple Store on August 11. They grabbed multiple handsets and then ran out, fleeing in a silver Honda Civic driven by a male suspect.

Apple put out a recall notice earlier this summer for a 2015 MacBook Pro model because its battery can overheat. The FAA is reminding passengers that they can’t fly with one of these if it has not yet been repaired.

The end might be near for iPhone cases with slots to hold credit cards now that the Apple Card is starting to roll out. Not because this new credit card will make them unnecessary, but because tests by Cult of Mac show that putting an Apple Card in one of these wallet cases blocks the iPhone inside from wireless charging.

Fans of this type of case will need to decide how much they want Apple’s new credit card, or if they‘re willing to give up on wireless charging.

This innovative Apple Watch stand looks incredible with its cylindrical aluminum shell, but it wasn’t designed that way for looks alone. Its size and shape means you can slip it into your car’s built-in cup holder and top up your Apple Watch while on the road.

It’s a must-have for road warriors who are forever behind the wheel — and its price tag is a pleasant surprise.

Problem: You have a kick-ass stereo, or a pair of excellent studio monitor speakers, and you want to hook up your iPhone to listen to some music. Only you don’t want to dig out the headphone dongle and plug in a cable.

Solution: The Kali Audio Bluetooth Module. It hooks up to your speakers via cable, adding a Bluetooth receiver that lets you get the music out of your iPhone or iPad. It seems simple, and it is. But it’s also super-duper handy.

Not all Apple devices will escape the taxes being levied next month on goods imported from China. The Trump Administration decided to delay tariffs on iPhone, iPad and Mac, but other popular products will still get slapped with a 10% import tax, including Apple Watch, AirPods and HomePod

Apple might be ready to agree to a truce with Spotify that would allow iOS users to control the rival music streaming service with Siri.

iPhone users have been unable to use Siri and Spotify together even though you can do it with Apple Music. Reports of the negotiations come as Apple is facing more intense scrutiny for anti-trust practices, with Spotify being one of the loudest dissenting voices.

This post is presented by Dashlane.

When it comes to summer, travel is the reason for the season. To help you get the most out of your wanderings, we rounded up some of our favorite Mac apps for taking summer travel to the next level. You’ll find tools for keeping currencies straight, recording your experiences, learning from your surroundings and more.

Bedtimes stories don’t get much better than the latest stories from all your favorite writers at Cult of Mac. And now Microsoft Edge for iOS can read them to you.

The new feature, added in the browser’s latest update, improves accessibility for the visually impaired and those who find it difficult to interact with iPhone and iPad.

The Apple Card is here, and it looks like a pretty good credit card (as these things go). But far more interesting than the MasterCard interest rates, or the minimal design of the card, is the software behind Apple Card.

You manage all aspects of the card — from payments to Daily Cash summaries — through the Wallet App you already have on your iPhone. You can even download a PDF of your transactions. Let’s check it out.

Shares of Apple jumped over 4% after iPhones were removed from the list of items that will be hit with import taxes at the beginning of September.

However, tariffs could still go into effect for phones, Macs, and other Apple products in mid December.

Apple is bringing contactless student IDs to more universities.

More than 100,000 students will get to enjoy the feature on iPhone and Apple Watch in the coming school year. The digital cards will allow access to dorms, lunch purchases, and more.

A smartphone stabilizer helps the mobile filmmaker record smooth footage. But its bulk and awkward shape can make it challenging to pack.

DJI said it went back to the drawing board to create the Osmo Mobile 3. The lightweight, foldable, three-axis gimbal went on sale today.

Despite Apple’s focus on ARKit and augmented reality, it’s yet to release the AR headset it is supposedly working on.

Tim Cook has previously said Apple will only do it when it can do so in “a quality way.” Snapchat’s newly unveiled Spectacles 3 may be a reminder as to why Apple is hanging back.

Apple plans to use more responsible gold in future products after teaming up with environmental group Resolve.

Salmon Gold sourced from placer mining operations in Alaska will enter Apple’s supply chain this fall, and will be traceable from mine to refiner using blockchain technology.

Until Nintendo gets around to releasing classic game Star Fox on iOS, fans of the franchise may want to check out Sky Squadron. An upcoming vehicle-based blaster, it’s set to land in the App Store in early 2020.

If you can’t wait that long, however, its developer has just opened it up for an open beta. This is the perfect opportunity for early adopters to take it for a spin.

Apple is rolling out its revamped Apple Maps app in the Northeast, covering Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts and Maine.

The refreshed Apple Maps continues to expand across the United States. Last week, it debuted in Texas, Louisiana and the southern half of Mississippi.

Plenty of us use Gmail because it’s reliable, easy to use and free. But with the right tool, you can get a whole lot more out of this uber-common email client.

Apple debuted its AR[T] augmented reality walks in several cities around the world over the weekend.

The walks take place from Apple Stores in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. They boast augmented reality demos created by world renowned artists. A new report describes the experience.